The first time John saw the Hogwarts Express he was all by himself with not a familiar face around. The second time John saw the Hogwarts Express he was with his childhood friend and her parental figures. He thought the second time was much nicer. Allie marveled at the crimson locomotive and asked Gerard if he could buy a scale model of it for her. Her mother answered for him and said no. They'd already wasted money on John's broom and couldn't afford any unnecessary purchases. John felt a little bad, but he'd spent the time between Diagon Alley and King's Cross practicing his flying skills. He thought he'd gotten better but it was clear Allie was more of a natural than he was.
Allie's mother asked them to both be on their best behaviour at Hogwarts before leaning down to pull them into a hug. The train whistle sounded so they had no more time to dawdle but Allie made sure to give Gerard a quick hug as well. They hopped onto the train and Allie immediately told John she needed to sit with other first years or she would be socially stunted. John tried not to be offended as Allie assured him she would find him later. She disappeared into a compartment with a pale blonde girl and John went on his way, peering into compartments in search of his friends.
Lily was sitting with Snape. While John would've loved to spend some time with Lily, he wasn't in the mood to deal with Snape's existence. He moved on. The Slytherin girl he'd gotten chocolate from last year was sitting with a blond boy. John didn't really know either of them so he continued on his way. It seemed everywhere he looked he saw either complete strangers or full compartments. Somewhere in the middle of the train he sighed and debated sitting in the hallway despite that being a horrible idea. It was with great relief he spotted a familiar messy head of hair pop out of a nearby compartment.
"James!" John called, grinning. The bespectacled boy turned his way and opened the compartment door.
"John! We were wondering if you'd disappeared!" James walked over to help John with his bags. In the compartment were all of the second year Gryffindor boys.
"Is that a broomstick?" Peter asked from his seat by the door.
"Yeah, a Swiftstick. Family friend bought it for me but he didn't want to spend all the money for a Nimbus so…" John showed them the broom without much glamour.
"At least it's not a Shooting Star. Those only last a few years before losing speed and height." Sirius pointed out.
"Well, I got the new Nimbus 1001. I've been flying it all summer. There's no way the Gryffindor quidditch captain can reject me." James boasted. "What about you lot?"
"I've been practicing too but I don't think I have a chance if you're trying out." John laughed.
"It'd be fun to be a beater but my parents'll never buy me a broom now that I'm a Gryffindor blood-traitor." Sirius scoffed. "I'll be fine just watching from the stands with Remus and Peter."
"What makes you think I'll be in the stands?" Remus asked, lips quirked into a smile. There was a healthy glow to his cheeks.
"Don't even try pretending you'd rather be on a broom than have your nose in a book." John nudged him as he sat between him and James.
"Well…" Remus shrugged, not able to argue with that.
The five of them enjoyed their ride to school and James bought excessive amounts of candy for everyone. It was hard to take any chocolate frogs from Remus. Thankfully, it was only the cards the other boys were after. John felt a bit sick, both physically and mentally, by the end of the train ride. His parents were doctors and they'd drilled the importance of the proper diet into his young, impressionable mind. He would make sure to eat a salad during the feast to quell his guilt. That would probably fix things.
Unlike first year, they left Hogsmeade station and piled into a self-drawn carriage. It was dark outside, but if they peered out the window they could see the lights of the castle twinkling in the distance. Walking into the Great Hall was like returning to a second home. They didn't have the same nerves they'd had a year ago when they'd first caught glimpse of the impressive room. It was interesting to wait with the older students. Some of them seemed bored. Others were taking short naps. It didn't take long for the first years to arrive through the doors. John watched them shuffle in nervously, looking up to the enchanted ceiling with awe. It was endearing. The Sorting Hat began to sing.
"Welcome young, welcome old,
I am the Sorting Hat!
I don't protect your head from cold,
I'm more important than that.
No other hat to me can compare
No cap, nor bonnet, nor cover
To me your thoughts are laid bare
I ascend above all others,
So inside your head I can view
To sort you accordingly
As you start your Hogwarts year anew,
Your house is up to me
Maybe you go in Gryffindor
Where bravery is found
If you're valiant, daring, or audacious,
Then you are Gryffindor bound.
Perhaps you belong in Hufflepuff,
With their faithfulness and devotion,
And their untiring forbearance thrives
Hufflepuff would be my notion.
Or maybe sagacious Ravenclaw,
With their scholarly brains
They possess the will to acquire all
Ravenclaw individuals have knowledge to attain.
And finally crafty Slytherin,
Where you have to watch your back
They search for ways to obtain their goals
But many friends you won't lack
So go ahead, try me on
The famous Sorting Hat,
Lend me your thoughts for a little while,
To set your mind on track!"
Everyone applauded and the Hat bowed to each table before sitting still and waiting for its first student. John watched the look of relief wash over the first years and took a moment to point Allie out to his friends. She wasn't hard to spot, with her bright red hair. It seemed she'd made a friend in the girl she'd sat next to on the train. Sirius said she looked like a Malfoy. John only shrugged as McGonagall began reading off names.
"Black, Regulus!" McGonagall called as a smaller Sirius walked up to the Hat.
"You have a brother?" John blinked, whispering to Sirius, who sat beside him.
"Yeah…" Sirius mumbled, resting his chin on his hand. "I don't talk about him much."
"Oh. What's he like?"
"SLYTHERIN!" The hat shouted. Sirius didn't answer him.
Sorting continued and John understood why some of the older students were taking naps. Remus was reading a book on defensive spells as Peter peered over his soldier. Sirius and James seemed to be communicating across the table, solely through odd facial expressions. John put his face on the table. He wondered what classes would be like that year? Would they learn more interesting spells this time around? He turned his head to watch the first years continue their sorting, only sitting up when he thought Allie's name would soon be called.
"Whitney, Allison!" McGonagall called out, seeming slightly tired. John would be too. She'd called out nearly seventy names. Allie said something as she sat on the school, and though John couldn't hear her, he suspected it had something to do with the reason McGonagall rolled her eyes.
"HUFFLEPUFF!" The hat cried after being on her head for only a moment.
Allie pranced off towards Hufflepuff table and John waved at her across the aisle. He wasn't particularly happy about Gryffindors being seated furthest from the door but he couldn't complain about being next to the Hufflepuffs. With the first years sorted, McGonagall took the stool with the Sorting Hat away. Dumbledore stood to give a short speech that John decided he may as well pay attention to.
"I welcome all of you young faces, new and old, to another year at Hogwarts!" He said jovially, arms spread wide and a twinkle in his eyes. "I've always been fond of our school motto, and while I was visiting a good friend of mine in France, I thought; 'Why not translate it?' So, il ne faut pas chatouiller le dragon qui dort!" Dumbledore spoke with an almost comically horrendous accent. "I'm sure Professor Kettleburn would agree with me there." He chuckled, as did Professor Kettleburn. "And I regret to inform you all that Professor Doe has retired as our Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. She has decided to move to the countryside with her husband and pet augurey."
"Well, she was getting old." John said.
"I'd forgotten her name." Peter admitted.
"Joining our staff this year is Professor Vertstone." Dumbledore continued, and a man who could only be Professor Verstone stood up. "He is taking over the Defence Against the Dark Arts position now that he's finished with his travels. I hope you welcome him with open arms and treat him with the respect all people deserve."
Professor Vertstone was tall, with dark hair and pale skin. He had a pencil-thin mustache, battle scars, and an awkward nose. John suspected it had been broken once before. Despite his imperfections, there was a vaguely inhuman allure to him. The rich purple of his robes was interrupted by a crisp white cravat. He smiled politely at the equally polite applause sent his way. John had a suspicion he would be much more memorable than Professor Doe. He took a short moment to go over the rules before sitting down, and all thought left John's mind as the food appeared on the tables.
The feast was just as he'd remembered it and he didn't think he would ever fail to be impressed by how wonderful all the food at Hogwarts was. He could cook up some tasty meals himself, yes, but that was nothing compared to whoever made the food at Hogwarts. With bellies full and minds hazy, everyone made their way to their dormitories. After learning the password to the tower, they piled into their dorm room, taking a moment to appreciate the sign on their door showing that they were now second year boys. It was nice, being back at Hogwarts. John was sure the others agreed, though they were already asleep and he could not ask them himself.
Word Count: 1,749
In case you're interested in my fic that centers on Allie, I've posted the first chapter! It's called Allie Whitney and the Humorous Hijinks of Hogwarts because I love alliteration and I couldn't think of a more plot-relevant title due to the fact that it doesn't have a plot laid out. You can find it on my profile. That fic is actually the main reason I waited so long to post this one, so sorry about that. Because Allie's fic is now posted, I won't be including any OCs beyond passing mentions of them in this fic. All of your OCs will be in Allie's fic, other than the DADA professors. Please take a look at that one, as it's a much less structured fic and I'll 100% take your requests and ideas in mind when writing it, whether it be for Drama, romance, or whatever you please
ANyways, I also apologize about the shortness of this chapter! I really couldn't think of what to fill it with :') I hope you enjoyed it nonetheless! And if you feel so inclined, I would love to receive a review or two c; You're not obligated to of course, it just makes me feel like people are interested in reading more
I love all of you! Hope to see you next time!